Welcome to the Church of Saint Matthew, a faith-filled community located in Tolland, Connecticut. We are a Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich.
We extend a warm welcome to all who attend our church. We hope that you will find our parish community a place where your life of faith will be nourished. We also hope that you will share your special talents within the community.
Your prayers, your presence and your talents are most welcome. Please introduce yourself after Mass.
May God bless all of us.
PASTOR'S REFLECTIONS
August 29, 2010
My Dear Friends in Christ:
I am sure you have noticed the new signs at
our entrances and the new sign board near the statue of St. Matthew. They are beautiful aren’t they? I am so pleased with them. I am very proud to say that the funds for these wonderful signs came from the proceeds of last year’s Carnival. I am thankful to Teri Belanger, chair of our Carnival Committee, who followed through with Sign-O-Rama of Vernon to have them constructed and erected on our church property. The sign board will be very practical to announce the Mass times for our holidays. The old one had deteriorated so much that it couldn’t be opened anymore. Thanks to everyone who supported our Carnival!
Since I am speaking about improvements at the parish, I can’t forget to acknowledge the great new lights inside the church. They are 250-watt metal halide fixtures that replaced some of the 500-watt halogen lamps. They have a much wider beam spread and so we don’t need to turn on the remaining older fixtures. The average lifetime of these new lights are over 2000 hours as opposed to the halogen lamps which last around 500 hours. C & C Electric of Vernon installed them. I am grateful to Scott Mokoski who chairs our Maintenance Committee for working on this project and to Dan Burbank who offered his expertise in deciding on the proper fixtures best suited for our church. Funding for this project will come from our Capital Improvement Fund. Thank you to all who support this monthly collection!
Sincerely,
____________________________
Join us for a
Program of Adult Faith Formation
Beginning in October 2010 at
St. Matthew Church
For the immediate and desperate needs of the people of Haiti, we recommend direct donations be made online, by mail or by phone to either the Haitian Ministries for the Diocese of Norwich or to Catholic Relief Services by clicking one of the buttons below:
For one-time or recurring donations directly through St. Matthew to St. Pierre Parish and School, please click the link below and choose "Haiti Fund":
Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
"Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.”- Luke 14:14
We have a difficult time with the concept of giving without expecting something in return. Even when we give to charity we often want something in return – a raffle ticket, a dinner, or a chance to play golf. Yet, as Christian stewards we need to remember that the true reward for our giving awaits us in heaven.
Help a Child in Haiti The St. Matthew Underwriting Campaign for Haiti Mission gives parishioners the opportunity to help a child go to school. Parishioners who would like to support our mission to St. Pierre School in Ganthier may pick up a flyer on our windowsills or at the entrance to the Parish Center, or download a contribution form here. While these are tough economic times in our country, many children in Haiti have no opportunity for an education and don’t know where their next meal will come from. Help us help them! Now!!
St. Matthew Preschool will be accepting applications for our 3 and 4 year old program for the 2010-2011 school year from Parish Members only beginning Monday, December 7. Open registration for non parish members will begin in January. Spots for the preschool are filled on a first come first served basis.
Please click here for more information or contact AnnMarie Galdau at 872-0200 ext. 357 or by email at Preschool.
St. Matthew Preschool will be accepting applications for our 3 and 4 year old program for the 2010-2011 school year from Parish Members only beginning Monday, December 7. Open registration for non parish members will begin in January. Spots for the preschool are filled on a first come first served basis.